Regrets and Love
by NiennaAngel
Summary: TalaxClaude mentioned MiguelxKai. Claude wakes up in Tala's hotel room with more than one regret. Series of TalaxClaude oneshots that basically go in order and are all connected.
1. Regret

Here's the flip side to "An Interesting Morning" Beware angst and a fluffy ending. Possibly a oneshot, possibly a twoshot. I haven't decided yet. I don't own beyblade. Enjoy.

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Claude awoke with a massive migraine and a groan. He sat up and looked around the room he was in. He sighed when he realized that he hadn't dreamed his predicament, but was actually living it. Claude's eyes searched the room for any sign of the redhead he had gone home with only to find he was alone. He moved over to the edge of the bed and sat there until he spotted his boxers lying a few feet away. Slipping silently out of bed with a grace most didn't attribute to him he walked over and pulled the fabric up to cover himself. His feet took him to the bathroom where he stared at his reflection in the mirror completely repulsed by himself. Sighing softly he decided that a shower would at least help his body feel better if not his mind.

Stepping out of the steaming bathroom in his boxers while towel drying his hair he was greeted by the sight of Tala eating breakfast at the kitchen table. "Morning." Claude forced a smile onto his face causing Tala to put down his fork and look at him more closely. "Was I wrong to assume you enjoyed yourself last night?"

Claude sighed as he picked up his pants and pulled them on. "It's more complicated that if I simply enjoyed last night."

"I take it you're not a fan of one night stands."

"No, but that's not what I'm referring to." Claude picked up his shirt and slipped his arms into it.

"Then what is it? I'm not a mind-reader you know. Biovolt didn't figure out how to do that to me." Tala watched Claude button up his shirt and waited for the silver-haired teen to look at him which hadn't happened since he walked out of the bathroom.

"It's not something I want to explain. I had hoped you wouldn't come back before I had a chance to leave." He started for the door only to have Tala grab his wrist and pull him to a stop. Claude glared at him and yanked his wrist out of the wolf's strong grip. "Just forget about what happened and leave me the fuck alone. The last thing I need in my life right now is someone like you." He left quickly leaving behind a very stunned Tala.

He ran as fast as he could down the steps and through the parking lot to his silver convertible. He threw the car in gear and took off through the streets to the apartment he shared with his teammates. Claude kept his foot on the accelerator going faster and faster the farther he got from the hotel and Tala. By the time he pulled into his parking spot by his apartment building he had calmed down and was once again disgusted with himself. Claude took the elevator up to the top floor where he walked down to the door that led into the spacious apartment he called home.

Claude walked into the apartment silently hoping that his teammates would all be somewhere else so that he could have some time alone to figure himself out before he had to deal with them. Unfortunately, fate was not even close to being on his side that morning. Most of the BBA was sitting in his living room talking and chatting including an apparently together Miguel and Kai. Bryan was the first to spot him and the falcon smirked. "Have fun last night Claude? It certainly sounded like it."

Claude's eyes narrowed in a glare that made even the homicidal Russian falcon back off. "What is it with your team and not leaving me alone?" He demanded of his team's guest.

"You shifted." Aaron had always been blunt about everything, but in Claude's current state of mind it probably would have been a better idea to keep his mouth shut. Before Claude could respond, however, a blinding pain shot through his head and he was forced to bite back a scream. He lurched into the kitchen and started searching for a specific bottle of pills that would stop the pain.

"You threw out your prescription two months ago. You didn't want to have to rely on pills to control your personality so you tossed them. You'd been doing really well too. What happened?"

"Tala. I can't control myself around him. He makes my aggressive side come out and now I've completely lost control of my personalities." Claude sank to the ground his head in his hands. Everyone stared at the Spanish teen silently shaking on the floor.

Miguel opened his mouth to give his team orders, but was interrupted by a knock on the odor. Mathilda got up and answered it. She silently stepped aside allowing Tala entrance to the apartment. "You have a very confusing teammate" he informed Miguel who simply rolled his eyes.

"He's not confusing. He's mentally unstable and has been since he was a kid. You set off a series of personality shifts he's had under control for years. As much as I believe you could be good for him, until he learns to control his personalities around you, you have to back off. I'm going to get him back on his medication, but until then you have to stay away from him." Tala started to interrupt, but Miguel continued. "You're hurting him simply by being around him. Claude gets massive migraines after his personality shifts too quickly. When he's back on his meds you can try to start something with him if you want to, but until then I want you to leave him alone so that he can take care of himself. I'll call you when that happens."

"You don't have my number" Tala pointed out.

"I do and I'm dating Miguel now so I'll give it to him." Tala blinked at Kai and nodded slowly. He turned and left wishing there was something more that he could do.

Miguel silently helped Claude into his room and tried to help his friend get comfortable. He walked back into the living room and looked at his guests with a sigh. "I have to ask you all to leave. It's probably best if the apartment is quiet while Claude recovers from this." The other bladers nodded and left until only Kai was the only nonresident left.

Claude got off of his bed and walked over to the window. He shoved his head into his pockets. Feeling a piece of paper in one of them he pulled his hand out and looked at it. He picked up his cell phone and punched in the number written on it. The phone rang several times before he was delivered over to voicemail. "This is Tala. Leave a message if you must."

The phone beeped and Claude left a brief message.

Tala flipped open his phone as he relaxed with his teammates at the hotel and saw that he had a voicemail. He waited until it started playing and smiled softly.

"Tala, its Claude. Just give me a few days to get back on my meds. I'll be okay and then we can pick up where we left off this morning."

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Well, there it is. I told you the ending was fluffy! In case you were wondering Claude has a kind of split-personality. He has an agressive/violent/dominant side and a passive/nonviolent/submissive side. The passive side is his normal state, but when he gets around certain people (like Tala) and he's not on his meds his agressive side comes out to have some fun. It generally leaves him with a headache and regrets over what he's done.

Claude: I don't have split-personality disorder

Me: I know, but your bitbeast has two heads so I thought I'd give you two personalities

Tala: There's going to be more where Claude and I actually get to be together right?

Me: Maybe... you'll have to wait and see just like everyone else. Review!


	2. To Text or Not To Text

Since Elemental Gypsy wanted another chapter of this story and I like making Claude suffer with a mental disorder, here is the second chapter of regrets and love.I hope you enjoy it. It's got fluff, which I seem to be very good at doing.

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Claude sank down into the Jacuzzi tub that the hotel suite his team was staying in provided. He stared at his cell phone that was sitting on the edge of the tub debating whether or not to text message Tala like Miguel and Kai had suggested. It was a daunting task simply because a whole month had passed since his breakdown. Three days on his medication had his personality disorder under control, but Claude had managed to convince himself in those three days that Tala couldn't possibly want to have a relationship with someone as messed up as the dual minded eagle. Gathering all his courage Claude picked up the phone and typed "got my head straight" and sent the message. It was now up to Tala as to whether or not he reacted to the message.

Down in the hotel's small restaurant Tala flipped open his cell phone when it beeped to tell him he had a text message. He smiled when he read Claude's message secretly thrilled that the other had finally contacted him again. The other teams were looking at him oddly since it was rare to see the wolf smiling happily. "What's up Tala? You look happy about something" Hiro commented.

"Let me guess. Claude finally text messaged you" Miguel teased.

"Actually, yes he did. I think I'm going to say hello in person now." Tala stood and walked out of the restaurant and headed towards the elevator.

He knocked on the door to Claude's suite and waited for an answer. When one didn't come right away he pulled out his cell phone and sent a text simply saying "open the door." A minute later a flustered looking Claude opened the suite door with a healthy blush painted across his cheeks. Tala's eyes flicked over the eagle's body and raised an eyebrow when he noticed that his love was wearing only a towel and hadn't even had a chance to dry off. "You text me and then get in the shower?"

Claude's blush deepened as he stepped aside so that the wolf could enter. Once the door was shut he tried to explain himself. "I was in the tub trying to take a relaxing bath when I texted. I didn't expect you to show up so quickly. I didn't expect you to show up at all to be honest."

Tala frowned as he reached out and brushed his fingertips along Claude's jaw line. "Why wouldn't I come? I've been waiting for a month for you to get in touch with me so that we could pick up where we left off. I was beginning to get worried you had changed your mind and didn't want to see me anymore."

"I haven't changed my mind. I figured that you would have changed yours after finding out about me. There aren't many people in the world willing to deal with someone with problems like me." Claude walked away from the wolf not wanting to look him in the eye and sat on the couch.

Tala followed and knelt in front of him. When Claude refused to look at him the ice wolf gently tilted his head in the proper direction. "What exactly is wrong with you? Miguel hasn't really explained it very well. All I know is that you have an aggressive personality and a passive personality. Can you explain it to me?"

Claude sighed and placed his head in his hands trying to figure out how exactly to phrase what he was about to tell the guy he was head over heels for. "It's a form of split-personality disorder. I have two very different personalities, but not identities. I know exactly what I'm doing at all times, it's just that when my aggressive personality is in control over my passive personality I forget all my inhibitions and do things I normally wouldn't do. I don't know why and I can't control it unless I'm on medication. It only took about three days for the meds to kick in once I started taking them again, but I was afraid that when you realized that just how fucked up I am you wouldn't want to see me so I didn't say anything."

"You aren't the only one with mental stability issues you know. My whole team has them. Hell, Bryan used to hear voices when we were in the abbey. Whatever drugs they had him on made him schizophrenic. Luckily, that stopped when he went off the drugs, but he's still mentally unstable. I'm not going to disappear for something like that. I want to be with you, but if you don't want to be with me then I'll back off. Just give me a clue either way."

Claude turned his gaze to him with a look so confused it made Tala want to cuddle the teen. "If you really don't care that I have two personalities then I would like to try being in a relationship with you. Um… would you mind if I get dressed real quick?" Claude was blushing like mad and Tala couldn't help but laugh. He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his new boyfriend's lips.

"Sure. Get dressed and we'll go to dinner." Claude nodded and went to find something to wear for his first real date with Tala.

That night Claude laid curled up against Tala's strong chest in his large plush bed. Tala's arms looped around his waist and tugged him closer making Claude stretch out so that their bodies were pressed fully against each other before slipping one of his legs between Tala's.

"Tala?"

"Mm?"

"Can we take things slow between us? I know that we've already slept together, but I was kind of hoping to back track. I don't want to risk my aggressive personality controlling me."

"We can take it as slow as you want to, but I thought that if you're on your meds then you're in control of your personalities."

"I am for the most part, but when things got serious with my ex-boyfriend and I was on my meds my aggressive side still took control. The meds don't really stop the personality shifts; it's just that they make them more manageable."

Tala kissed Claude's forehead gently. "I don't want to scare you off so you can set the pace of this relationship. For now, let's just get some sleep." Claude nodded his understanding and snuggled closer to the redhead. They exchanged a few light kisses before drifting off into a peaceful sleep wrapped up in each other's arms.

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There you go. I hope you enjoyed that. Please review! I do requests so if you want more of this story just tell me and I'll do my best to put up a new chapter.

Claude: So I'm at least mentallystable now right?

Me: Kind of. You'll never really be stable. How stable can you be with two personalities?

Claude: But...

Me: If you don't complain I'll let you stay with Tala in the next chapter

Tala: He's shutting up now.

Me: grins


	3. Good For Him

Chapter three of this TalaxClaude series! I hope you all are enjoying it. My hit counter says that this story has the least amount of hits other than the story I just posted today. I wish more people would read this story. It's really cute even if people are wary of the couple. Anyway, this little bit of fluff was a nice counter to the depressing "When the Addiction is Gone" that I wrote this morning. I hope you enjoy!

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Tala walked into the party center that the BBA was using for the party at the end of the tournament. The BladeBreakers had won again which meant that the rest of the teams had to deal with Tyson and Daichi's gloating for the whole night. Those two never seemed to give up their right to gloat to anybody they felt like. Tala's ice blue eyes flicked over the room in search for a certain dual minded eagle that was supposed to meet him at the party. "Claude's not here." Tala turned to see Miguel and Kai looking at him.

"Not here? Why not? He said he'd be here."

Miguel sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "He got into a huge argument with Johnny on our way here. His personality switched over to his aggressive side. He's back to being passive, but he's not completely cooled down and being around you and your intensity could bring out his aggressive side again. He doesn't want that to happen since his aggressive side can be violent and he's been trained as a kick boxer so he could hurt you. He doesn't want to risk it."

Tala frowned and looked around the room again. "Where is he?"

"Tala…" Kai started

"He's my boyfriend Kai. I want to make sure he's alright for myself. I know he'll be set off easily. I can change how I act towards him to help prevent that. If he does switch and become violent I can defend myself. You know I can."

Kai nodded. "He's at the park down the street. Be careful Kai. It got ugly when we were coming over. He almost broke Johnny's nose."

"I'll be careful. I just have to make sure he's going to be okay. I'm falling in love with him." Miguel and Kai nodded their approval before Tala left in search of his dual minded eagle. The ice wolf was having difficulties finding Claude in the large park, but then spotted him sitting beside a small pond watching the ducks floating on top. "Claude!" The Spanish teen looked up at Tala slightly shocked. Tala jogged over and sat down behind him. He gently tugged the smaller teen into his lap and held him close. "Miguel and Kai told me what happened. I got worried and had to come check on you."

Claude sighed as he leaned back into Tala's arms. "I'm okay now. I'm finally starting to relax again. Johnny managed to hit just the right button to make me go off on him. It didn't help that he pushed it several times." Tala chuckled and tightened his grip on his boyfriend.

"You're adorable you know that?"

Claude snorted his disbelief. "Yeah, because have two practically uncontrollable personalities is incredibly adorable. You're insane wolf."

"Not at all Claude. You're my dual minded eagle with a cute, sweet passive side and a hot, sexy aggressive side. I might add that having your aggressive side come out last night was very enjoyable."

Claude blushed a shade of red similar to Tala's hair color. "Tala! I can't believe you just said that in a very public place!" Tala simply chuckled and pressed a kiss to the side of the eagle's neck.

"Max was going on about something that got me thinking about you" Tala mused softly.

Claude shifted in Tala's lap so that he could look into those ice blue orbs. "What did he say?"

"He was explaining to a bunch of us how we really are like our bitbeasts. He used himself as an example since most people sight him as the reason we aren't all like our bitbeasts. He said that he's actually a very defensive person and doesn't let people get really close very quickly. Spencer backed him up on it and said that it took Max months to agree to go out on a date with him. Anyway, that's not what's important. I started thinking about you and Rapid Eagle. Does your bitbeast have two different personalities like you do or is Max's theory flawed?"

"Well, Rapid Eagle doesn't have two personalities, he has two heads. He's hard to control sometimes because one head doesn't always like to listen to my orders. I guess Max is right though. I am a lot like Rapid Eagle. We both like to move fast and hate having to be still."

"You've been taking things pretty slow with me. You said it's because you're afraid of your aggressive side taking control, but even since we started sleeping together you've kept things at a pretty slow pace. How come?" Tala was intrigued by Claude's explanation and wanted more information from the Spaniard.

"Well, I guess it's because I like you so much. I don't want to lose you and it's easier to make sure that I don't screw up and run you off if I take things slow. Besides, I like savoring my time with you. You know how to keep me calm and relaxed, but you've been able to figure out when it's alright to get me a little more excited and encourage my aggressive side. I'm learning how to cope with my personalities more and I want that to continue. You've made me realize that just because my aggressive side has no inhibitions what-so-ever doesn't mean it always needs to be under control. I just have to know when to let it take control." Claude sighed and snuggled himself into Tala's chest. "You're the best thing to ever happen to me Tala. I'm sure of it."

Tala tilted Claude's head back and gently pressed their lips together. "I'm falling for you Claude. I can't get you out of my head or my heart and I don't want to. I'm not going to run away. You don't have to worry about that." The wolf pressed his lips to the eagle's once more for a slightly longer more loving kiss. "Let's go to the party before Miguel and Kai decide to send out a search party." Claude nodded and smiled up at Tala lazily.

The pair walked into the party hand in hand, not that many people were really paying attention. The food had just been brought out so they were all trying to get food before Tyson, Daichi and Gary got it all. "Hungry?" Claude shook his head and tugged Tala over to the table Kai and Miguel were sitting at.

"Hey Claude! I didn't think you were going to show up at all" Miguel said as they approached the table.

"I wasn't, but I'm completely calmed down so it's okay. Tala got me to relax." Claude smiled at his captain and friend. Kai motioned for them to sit down. Tala sat in a chair across from Kai, but when Claude went to take the one next Tala's arm snaked around his waist and the dual minded eagle was pulled into his lover's lap. Claude promptly blushed at the situation as Kai and Miguel laughed at the pair since Claude's face now matched the color of Tala's hair.

"You're good for him Tala. You really are" Miguel stated once he managed to stop laughing. Claude looked at Tala and brought their lips together for a sweet kiss in front of their friends.

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Well, I hope you enjoyed that! Please review!

Claude: I wouldn't punch someone just over a small argument!

Me: Your passive side wouldn't, but your aggressive side sure as hell would!

Claude: But I don't have two personalities!

Me: Tala, shut your boyfriend up. He's annoying me with all these protests.

Tala: kisses Claude to shut him up


	4. Psychology Hell

Chapter 4! Yay! I'm proud of myself! I really like this story.I hope you all feel the same. A big thanks to Elemental Gypsy and Troublesome Aries for reviewing chapter 3. Please read and review!

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Tala stared out the window of his hotel room watching the people of the city pass by on the sidewalks as he waited for his lover to walk through the door. Claude had gone to see the BBA's psychologist for his monthly exam that had started eight months earlier. Normally his exams lasted for an hour at the most, but so far he had been in with the doctor for over two hours. Tala was beginning to worry that something had gone wrong, but someone would have told him if it had. He glanced at the door briefly and sighed. There was no way for him to make his dual minded eagle walk through that door any sooner. All he could do was wait and waiting was hardly his strong suit. The ice wolf dragged his eyes away from the door and back to the window. He stared at the people passing by hoping to catch a glimpse of his lover's silver hair. Tala's eyes darted to the door when he heard it open and smiled softly when Claude walked through the door and smiled back at him. "Hey love."

Claude offered a weak smile as he wandered over to the bed and collapsed on it. He sighed and flung his arm over his eyes. Tala's smile faded as concern for his dual minded eagle took over. He stood and walked over to climb onto the bed. He laid down next to Claude and pulled him into a gentle embrace making sure to move Claude's arm away from his eyes. "I hate that woman" the dual minded eagle mumbled.

Tala slipped his fingers beneath Claude's chin and tilted his head back. There was no denying that Claude was bothered by his appointment. "What happened?"

Claude sighed and wrapped his fingers around the fabric of Tala's shirt. "She forced me to switch personalities. She said everything she could think of to piss me off. She claimed that it was to discover how much control I have over my aggressive side, but all she did was make my personality shift so fast that I have a massive headache now. I hate it. I don't want to go back to her, but I know there's no way Mr. Dickenson will agree to that. Ever since I tried to break Johnny's nose he's been insistent on these meetings. He hasn't even stopped to consider the fact that if Johnny had just backed off it would have been alright and nothing would have happened, but Johnny didn't back off and I just lost it. I know that I don't have complete control over my personalities, but I'll never have complete control no matter how much that woman psychoanalyzes me. I especially won't learn control if she just keeps pushing my buttons like she did today. I can't stand that she did that and I can't go back to her. Do you think that if I explained the situation to Mr. Dickenson he will be willing to get me a new psychologist?"

Tala gently pressed his lips to Claude's and pushed him onto his back so that Tala was leaning over him gently moving his lips in time with Claude's. He pulled back after a minute and smiled as he waited for Claude to open his eyes. Those usually vibrant silver eyes opened to reveal a dull gray that Tala wasn't used to seeing and only increased the ice wolf's concern for his beautiful dual minded eagle. "You talk too much. If you explain to Mr. Dickenson that this psychologist is giving you headaches by forcing a personality shift then I'm sure he'll see to getting you a new one. He's not completely unreasonable and he's only trying to look out for you. If you're done rambling I have been waiting rather impatiently for more than two hours and would like to have some quiet time with you in my arms." Claude nodded and wrapped his arms around Tala's neck.

"Some quiet time with me in your arms or some not so quiet time with you in my pants?" Claude inquired. He knew Tala well enough to know that the ice wolf saw love making as a way to make him feel better. Tala laughed.

"Will you let me get in your pants?" Tala's low husky voice was hard to resist and when he gently pressed their lips together and ran his tongue along Claude's lower lip in a request for entrance into his hot cavern Claude tightened his grip around Tala's neck as his lips parted to oblige the ice wolf's request. Their tongues moved together in a well-known, often practiced, perfected dance. They parted and Tala smiled down at Claude as his eyes resumed their usual vibrant silver. "Is that a yes?"

Claude shook his head no. "Can you wait until tonight? I still have a headache and I'd rather just cuddle with you until it fades. We have to meet the others in an hour anyway. I don't want to deal with Miguel when he's worried about me." Claude sighed and shifted as Tala moved to lie down next to him instead of on top of him. "I should probably call him so that he knows that I'm alright and nothing too terrible happened at my appointment."

Tala pulled Claude into a tighter embrace and buried his face in his lover's hair. "You can tell him when we meet up with the others. Just relax and let your headache get better." Claude nodded and snuggled closer to Tala. The dual minded eagle's fingers started to trace gentle patters underneath the ice wolf's shirt. Tala responded by gently massaging the back of his lover's head.

There was a loud banging on the door that startled them both into consciousness. "We must have fallen asleep" Tala mused sleepily. The banging continued and was shortly followed by a voice.

"Tala! Claude! Are you two in there? Are you alright?"

Claude shook his head as he squirmed out of Tala's tight embrace. "I told you I should have called him. He's paranoid now and probably thinks one or both of us are dead."

"He's got as many issues as you do if he automatically jumped to that conclusion" Tala replied with a chuckle. Claude made his way over to the door where the pounding had refused to cease.

Claude pulled open the door to find a very worried BBA. Both of their teams as well as Mr. Dickenson were standing in front of him. "Are you okay?" Miguel demanded before Claude had a chance to say anything.

"I'm fine. Tala and I fell asleep after I got back from my hellish appointment. Come in if you want." Claude stepped aside and allowed the others inside the hotel room. He walked back to the bed and crawled across it in order to sit in Tala's embrace.

"Your psychologist has resigned stating that she was not doing you any good. Do you know what she was talking about?" Mr. Dickenson inquired.

"How long do you have? It'll take awhile to explain all the ways I despise that woman." Claude retorted. Tala squeezed him gently around the waist.

"Let's not do that. Did we miss dinner completely or were you coming to get us so that we could go?" Tala asked of his friends.

"Dinner started ten minutes ago. If we're lucky there might actually be some food left" Kai replied. The others snorted.

"Not likely with the way Tyson and Daichi eat" Bryan retorted.

"We won't know until we go look" Mathilda stated. "But to be on the safe side let's get going before they have a chance to eat everything the hotel has in stock."

The group of beybladers left in front of Mr. Dickenson. The old man couldn't help but notice that Claude and Tala smiled at each other as they intertwined their fingers and stuck as close as physically possible to one another on the walk down the hallway.

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That's that. I hope you enjoyed it enough to spend a minute or two writing a quick review to know that you all appreciate it. Thank you very much.


	5. Fears

Chapter 5! I apologize ahead of time for it being short. It's just over 1000 words. XD My brain is completely fried. A big thanks to Elemental Gypsy for reviewing this! Everyone else, please review this. I have no idea if you actually like what I'm writing unless you tell me. Even if it's just a suggestion or constructive critiscm I'd appreciate it. Anyway, on with the fic!

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Tala sat in the garden behind the mansion that the BBA was holding a party for all of the beybladers to get together between tournaments. He tilted his head back and stared up at the nighttime sky. It was a gorgeous night free of clouds and filled with stars. He was picking out familiar constellations when he felt a familiar gaze fall upon him. The ice wolf's head lowered as he smiled at Claude. The silver haired youth was gorgeous in Tala's opinion. Claude was wearing simple black slacks and a navy blue silk shirt, but the material clung so well to his lithe frame that he looked better than the most beautiful model on the planet. He tilted his head to the side slightly as he looked at his dual minded eagle. "Hey lover. What brings you out here?"

"I was looking for you. You disappeared on me and I couldn't find you anywhere inside so I figured you'd be out here stargazing." Claude closed the distance between them and curled up in Tala's lap. His arms snake around his lover's waist tightly as he buried his face in the wolf's chest.

Tala sighed as he ran his fingers through Claude's silver locks. He wrapped his free arm around the eagle's back and squeezed him gently. They sat in silence as they simply enjoyed being in each other's company. "Are you afraid you're going to lose me, Claude?"

The question caught the silver haired youth off guard and he pulled back to look into ice blue eyes quizzically. "Why do you ask that?"

Tala brushed his fingers along the side of Claude's face ever so gently. He sighed as he answered. "There's something about the way you're holding me, like you're afraid to let me go in fear that I'll disappear."

Claude rested his head back onto Tala's shoulder as his grip on the ice wolf tightened slightly. "I guess I am a little. I'm never really sure where I stand with you or how you feel. I just worry that one day you'll realize that you don't love me like I love you and then you'll just disappear from my life. I don't want that to happen. I guess every time you get distant or disappear or pull away from me I worry that you're getting sick of me and are considering leaving me" he whispered softly. His grip tightened even more as he pressed his face into Tala's neck.

Tala wrapped both arms around his lover tightly as he cradled the other boy. "I'm not disappearing from your life anytime soon, Claude. I like you a lot. I don't know if I'm in love with you, but I know that I hate not spending time with you. I need you to be patient with me. I'm not used to having to express all of my emotions. Please just understand that I want to be with you. You have to trust me to stay by your side." Claude nodded but stayed silent. Tala sighed and settled for sitting in silence with his lover. There was nothing more he could do to reassure his dual minded eagle that he wanted to be with him and that he wasn't going to disappear or leave him.

Claude lifted his head from Tala's shoulder and looked him in the eye. Storm grey met ice blue as they stared at each other searching for the answers they both wanted so desperately to find. Claude sighed and rested his forehead against Tala's. "I love you Tala. I understand that you don't know for sure if you're in love with me, but I need you to understand that I do love you. I can't imagine not being with you. I won't ask you to make any decisions or say anything you're not comfortable with or sure of, but I do want you to know that I'll always be here waiting for you. I'll always be waiting until you tell me you love me. Even if that day never comes I'll be waiting. I'll wait for you until the end of time. I love you so much." Claude was on the verge of tears and he desperately needed his lover to tell him that everything would be okay. He wrapped his fingers around Tala's shirt tightly.

Tala placed his hand ever so gently on the side of Claude's face and ran his thumb underneath the eagle's teary eye. "I'll be here Claude. I promise that for now I'll be here with you. I hope that one day I can tell you what you want to hear, but I just don't know right now. I hope that knowing that I want to be with you is enough for you right now. I don't want to lose you, but I don't want you to be unhappy because of me either. I care about you too much to hurt you."

Claude pressed their lips together gently before pulling back. "That's all I needed Tala. All I needed was for you to tell me that you care and that maybe someday you'll be able to say what I really want to hear. You make me happy Tala. You really do."

Silence fell over the couple as their lips met in a series of feathery kisses. The kisses slowly turned deep and passionate until both were completely unaware of their surroundings. Two sets of eyes peered from behind a tree as they watched the two kiss. Miguel gently tugged on Kai's hand and guided him away. "Will they be okay? Can Tala give Claude what he needs?"

Kai smiled at his lover and nodded. "As Claude heals Tala, Tala will heal Claude. They're going to be good for each other, Miguel. They are the only ones capable of healing the wounds caused by Boris and Barthez. All they need is time and patience." Miguel looked back towards the couple who were now whispering softly to one another. The pair left their friends alone so that they could continue the healing process.

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Okay, the above conversation between Tala and Claude is based on several conversations I've had with my boyfriend. And before you assume that my boyfriend is completely closed off emotionally, Claude's half is based on him.I got burned and am having trouble opening up to him so he is constantly questioning where he stands with me.It's not good and I wish I could change, but I can't. Just thought I'd let you all know where the conversation came from.

Tala: You're making me be mean to my Claude.

I am not. You're just afraid of hurting him and yourself.

Claude: Why am I such a sap?

Because you're cute that way...?


	6. Cell Phone

Here we go. Chapter six. Wow. I'm really tired. I have no idea how I wrote this. xx. I hope you all like it enough to review. Thanks to Elemental Gypsy for reviewing!

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Claude walked out of the airport and into the bright Barcelona sunshine. It was the middle of summer and the dual minded eagle was positive that it was the hottest day of the year. He could feel the sun burning his skin, but a quick glance at his teammates told him that he had merely grown accustomed to Russia's cooler weather. Moscow wasn't even that cold, but it just happened to be an unusually hot day in Barcelona. He sighed and made his way over to the limo that was waiting to take them back to their apartment. Climbing into the back he positioned himself next to the window and ignored his teammates' worried glances. He knew that they were concerned about him, but there was nothing really wrong. He just missed his wolf, but there was nothing his friends could do about that. There was nothing anyone could do about that. He sighed again and closed his eyes instead of watching the scenery pass by him. The drive to the apartment was silent and short. Once inside the spacious penthouse the dual minded eagle went straight to his room and shut the door.

Claude collapsed on his bed and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He flipped it open and pressed the red phone button to turn it on. He drummed his fingers impatiently on his stomach as he waited for the phone to power up. Once it did he pressed the '2' button down and held it until it started dialing Tala's number. He would have called the moment he arrived at the airport, but he hadn't wanted his friends to hear his end of the conversation. He waited for his lover to pick up the phone and felt tears prick at the back of his eyes when the voice mail took over. He shifted onto his side and waited for the tone signaling he was allowed to leave a message. The tone finally sounded and he opened his mouth to say something and then stopped. Claude closed the phone and rolled onto his stomach so that he could bury his face in his pillow. Tears slipped from behind his tightly shut eyelids to soak into the pillowcase he clutched tightly. Fighting back sobs he willed his body to fall asleep.

Tala walked into Kai's mansion where he and his team were staying to train for the upcoming tournament. He missed his lover dearly and it was affecting his ability to concentrate on his training. His team was picking up on it and beginning to worry about him. If there was one thing Tala hated it was making people worry about him. Spencer in particular was picking up on his foul mood which had caused the tall blond to watch him even more carefully than normal. Spencer could be such a mother hen at times. Tala glanced over his shoulder and sighed in relief when he realized that Spencer's attention was now completely concentrated on Bryan. A small smile graced the wolf's lips as he watched his two friends whisper softly to each other before sharing a quick kiss. His smile faded and he walked out of the room quickly in search of his cell phone as he seriously considered buying a ticket on the next flight to Barcelona.

Tala found the wayward cell phone in his bedroom under his pillow. The reason behind why his cell phone was beneath his pillow was beyond his grasp, but his heart ached when he realized that he had missed Claude's call and shattered when he heard the soft sniffle that was the only sound on his voice mail. He quickly hit the proper buttons to call his lover back in fear that Claude would think that Tala was losing interest. The wolf understood that his eagle needed reassuring about their relationship and that it was worse when they were apart. Tala listened to the phone ring and knew perfectly well that it was about to go to voice mail when it stopped ringing and he heard movement on the other end. A small smiled graced his features when his lover's sleepy voice came through the earpiece. "Hey there lover. Sorry I missed your call."

"Tala? That you?" Tala couldn't help but chuckle at the confused note to Claude's voice.

"Yeah. It's me babe. Did I wake you up?" He waited patiently for his answer as he listened to his lover move around on the other end of the line.

Claude shifted so that he was lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom. He smiled at the thought of his lover doing much the same thing. "Yeah, but its okay. I was hoping you would call back. I fell asleep with my phone in my hand. It was disorienting waking up to it vibrating in my hand."

Tala chuckled softly into the phone as he stretched his body to its limits. "That would be a weird way to wake up. How did your flight go? You didn't run into any problems did you?"

Claude ran his fingers through his hair and silently wished that he could curl up against his lover's side instead of having to cradle his phone to his ear just to hear that gorgeously deep voice. "It went fine. It arrived on time and we didn't experience any turbulence." He sighed softly and closed his eyes against tears that threatened to fall.

"What's wrong love? You don't sound right and it's not that you're tired." Tala sat up far too worried about his dual minded eagle. When his only answer was a suppressed sob he started to panic. "Baby, what's wrong? You're crying. Talk to me please. I can't help if I don't know what's wrong."

Claude managed to suppress his tears long enough to get out one short sentence. "I wish you were here."

The statement was enough for Tala. His lover needed him and his team could take care of themselves and their training. "Baby, I have to get off the phone. Please don't worry. Everything will be fine in a little while. I promise it'll be fine soon."

"Okay" was Claude's whispered response before he hung up. Tala shut his phone and went to the laptop sitting on his desk. He purchased a one-way ticket for that night to Barcelona and started packing. He didn't know how long he'd be in Spain and he didn't really care. All he cared about was getting to his lover's side fast.

Claude woke to the feel of someone's hand running through his silver locks. His eyes fluttered open and he stared up into ice blue eyes he wasn't expecting to see. "Tala. You came." Tala smiled softly and pulled the eagle into a tight hug.

"Of course I came. I was so worried about you. You had me so scared on the phone that I had to come." Tala pulled back slightly and pressed a gentle kiss against his lover's lips. When he broke the kiss he waited until Claude's eyes slid open and said the one thing that he knew the eagle had been waiting to hear. "I love you Claude."

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Alrighty then. I hope you liked it and I hope you'll be kind enough to review. It is after all very fluffy and I know a lot of you like fluff. . I'm am now going to bed because I'm exhausted and can barely keep my eyes open. Oh yeah, and the reason Tala is only number 2 on Claude's speed dial is because his phone works like mine. Number 1 is voice mail so it's not an option for speed dial. Technically Tala is the first person on Claude's speed dial list. . 


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